The New York Knicks captured a win on the road in Philadelphia against the Sixers 111-99 in their 2024 NBA In-Season Tournament debut.
The Knicks are a part of Group A in the tournament, along with the Orlando Magic, 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Charlotte Hornets. The next game held for the Cup will take place on Friday when the Knicks face the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.
This game was high-intensity as it was a playoff rematch from last season when the Knicks beat the Sixers in the first round. Despite being a tight score throughout most of the night, the Knicks pulled away in the fourth quarter, starting on a 13-2 run. All the Knicks had the knack last night, as six players ended in double-digit scoring. Here are a few takeaways from the win.
OG Anunoby executing on both ends
Last night, Anunoby led the Knicks in scoring with 24 points, shooting 68.8% from the field. This is the second consecutive game the forward has put up 20-plus points.
Anunoby was especially feasting from the rim, capturing a total of six dunks. It’s been unknown what kind of offensive role Anunoby would have this season after the acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, but recently, he has been proving to be a vital part of it. With recent shooting struggles from guards Jalen Brunson and Bridges, it’s been valuable for Anunoby to step up and provide scoring. It’s especially significant that Anunoby shoots efficiently, a factor that Knicks fans admire about him from his first season as a Knick. Anunoby has been known to be a defensive specialist, being able to guard positions 1-5, but his offensive involvement shows the duality of his playing style.
Spark off the bench
The Knicks bench has been severely struggling. They are ranked last in the NBA in scoring thus far.
With key role player injuries such as forward Precious Achiuwa and Cameron Payne, the bench had been missing an emphasis that it had last season, previously having one of the best second units. Last night, Payne came back after missing four games from a left hamstring strain. Despite scoring only three points, he extended the Knicks rotation to nine players, and it felt like the Knicks had a bench again.
Guard Miles McBride was the real spark off the bench, scoring 15 points and shooting 50% from the field. The Knicks desperately need to improve on bench scoring, but Wednesday night provided a glimpse into how impactful it can be.
Knicks defense shut down Joel Embiid
Sixers center Joel Embiid made his season debut against the Knicks after missing the first nine games for Philadelphia, dealing with left knee management from surgery this past February and a three-game suspension. In 26 minutes of action, he scored just 13 points and grabbed three rebounds, shooting 3-of-16 from the perimeter.
A large part of his shooting strain was due to the Knicks’ strong defense, specifically Towns, who guarded Embiid most of the time. Towns put a lot of pressure on the Sixers center in his first game of the season, contesting every shot heavily and being physical. Embiid averaged nearly 35 points per game last season with 11 rebounds, but he did not find much success last night and looked very exhausted throughout the game.
